WATCH YOUR HEART, IF YOU ARE AN INDIAN

Watch your heart if you're an Indian
Mandakini Gupta |

New Delhi: Heart attacks don't just happen to people who are over 50 years of age. Over the last two decades, the demographics have changed drastically.

When it comes to health and fitness Alok Tanwar has always toed the line. At the age of 34, he showed absolutely no risk factors. A heart attack was out of the question.

But it still happened. One of his arteries was 100 per cent blocked.

"I am a teetotaller. I have never smoked a cigarette in my life. I have nieces and nephews, I used to tell them ‘look at me. Stop eating junk. I'm 34 and still fit as a fiddle’. But look at me now. It's all destiny I think,” says Tanwar.

After the attack Alok was hit by another revelation - the possible reason behind the attack.

"I can't believe I had a heart attack just because my Indian gene puts me at risk of heart disease,” he says.

Indians are four times more at risk of having heart disease than any other race. Our DNA is driven by what is sometimes called the famine theory or thrifty gene theory.

note: WELL, WE ARE INDIANS, WE ARE VEGETARIANS SO WE ARE ALRIGHT?

"Asia was considered starved because of famines for years. So the gene modified itself where the insulin became less effective. And whatever fat and cholesterol came to the body was stored away just in case the body didn't get food soon. But now our lifestyle has changed. We have a lot of very rich food. But the gene is still working in the same way,” says Cardiologist, Escorts, Dr Naresh Trehan.

Thirty years ago only five per cent of cardiac patients were below 35. The number has now increased to 30 per cent.

Doctors warn that if heart disease is not controlled now it will kill more people in India than the AIDS virus.